Trajectory Optimization and Impact Strategy for Asteroid Defense: A Dual-Spacecraft Mission to Deflect Asteroid 2020 BD11
- Paper ID
96825
- DOI
- author
- company
Beijing University of Technology
- country
China
- year
2025
- abstract
This paper presents a trajectory optimization methodology for a dual-spacecraft mission, comprising an impactor and a probe, designed to execute kinetic impacts on near-Earth asteroids and evaluate the resulting deflection effects. The trajectory optimization model for the impactor aims to maximize the asteroid’s post-impact velocity change, subject to nonlinear constraints, while adhering to nonlinear constraints such as mission duration and fuel consumption. In constraints, the probe’s optimization focused on minimizing fuel usage under similar mission constraints. Targeting asteroid 2020 BD11, the Differential Evolution (DE) algorithm is utilized to determine the optimal launch window and transfer duration, ensuring compliance with cooperative constraints between the two spacecraft. Orbital parameters for the Earth parking trajectory, Earth escape trajectory, and interplanetary transfer trajectory are calculated for both the impactor and the probe. The analysis of the impact effects demonstrates that the proposed kinetic impact mission scenario and trajectory optimization framework are effective in mitigating threats from asteroids with diameters on the order of tens of meters and warning times of several years. This study offers key insights into trajectory design and mission planning for planetary defense, providing a robust foundation for precise trajectory optimization and on-orbit engineering validation in future asteroid mitigation missions.